Fertilizer-distributer.



310.6: W. J. POPE.

FERTILIZER BISTRIBUTBR. APPLIQATION FILED APB.. e, i908.-

901,123.n A Patented oct.13,1908.^

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. c. an w. J. POPE'.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 6,1908.

Patented 001;. 13,1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.y n am ww J. G. 6a W. J. POPE.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTBR.

APPLIoATloN FILED Pn. s, 190s.

Patented Oct. 13,1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JOHN c. POPE ANDWILLIAM J. POPE, or PLANO, ILLINOIS.

- FERTILIzEn-DISTRIBUTER.

ISpeeifeation of Letters Patent.

infested oct, 1s, 19os.

lApplication filed April 6, 1908. Serial No. 425,488.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN C. POPE and WILLIAM J. POPE, citizens of the United States, and residents of Plano, county of Kendall, and Stateof Illinois, have invented i `certain new and useful Improvements in Fertilizer-Distributers, of whichthe following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, form-l ing a part thereof.

The invention relates yto fertilizer distrib.-

uters and more particularlyto improvements in that type of fertilizerdistributers'which take the general form of an ordinary' farm wagon adapted to be drawn over the ground to be treated and having adjacentfone end suitable distributing mechanism with means for gradually and uniformly delivering siiccessive portions of the load to the distributing mechanism. l l i In fertilizer distributers of this typey it has heretofore been the practice to employ a 4 hopper for containing the load generally similar to an ordinary wagon box and to em-v ploy as a bottom of the hopper a movable apron for gradually delivering the load to disintegrating and distributing mechanism located adjacent the rear end of the wagon box. This practice has been objectionablev for the friction between the load and the stationary sides of the wagon box .as the former is moved toward the distributing mechanism is excessive andas the movement of the parts is derived from the carrying wheels `of the wagon this friction greatly increases the force required toA draw the de vice over the ground. Afurtlier objectioiijto this practice resides in the fact that 'the whole of the load is moved backwardly through the wagon box largely by pressure exerted by a follower board upon the foi'- Ward part of tl'ie load, the follower board being ordinarily mounted at the forward end ofy the movable apron and carried with the apron during its backward movement.

That part ofjtl'ie load which is located ad-v jacent the follower board thereby becomes very much compacted by the time it reaches the distributing mechanism and the draft of the vehicle having-'by this time been very much reduced by the discharge of the greaterl portion of the load there is not sufficient power to effect a disintegration of this coni- Ii7, is.

pacted portion of the .load by thedistributer and a sliding of the carrying wheels of thevehicle over the ground without movement of any of the parts of the device results.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for delivering the load of a fertilizer distributer tothe distributing vmechanism thereof and the invention contemplates a fertilizer distributerA having sectional hopper and improvedl means for moving the hopper whereby both the sides and vbottom of the hopper 'aregradually moved with the load. I

In the accompanying drawings :-.-Figure 1 is a plan` view-of a fertilizer distribiitei' embodying nthe features .of the invention, Fig. 2 is ka sectional'view of the saine taken on the line 2,-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a een# tr'al longitudinal sectional view of the same,' Fig. 1i is a detail side elevation of the same,

showing the mechanism provided for moving thehliopper, some of the parts being `broken away and others beingremoved, an

Fig. 5 .is a side `elevation V'of the fertilizer distributer. 4 p

As shown in the drawings' the device takes the general form of an ordinary farni wagon having front and rear carrying wheels des',- ignated 10 and 11 respectively. The frame of the Wagon comprises the side sills 12, 13, and apliii'ality of transverse members asld,

15 and 16 uniting tlie'side sills 12 and 13.I

Preferably the transversemembers ,15 and 1G are located adjacent the forward end of the wagon aiid serve to support the forward ruiming gear including the front carrying wheels 10 and a drivers seat andfoot board The rear carrying wheels 11 are mounted -I upon the ends of a rotating axle 19 to which each is connected by .a ratchet hub mech; anism .20 (of ordinary construction .and

shownV iii detail iii/Fig. .2 of the drawings) whereby the axle is turned during the frward movement of the wagon over the ground. The axle 1 9 is joui'naled adjacent each end in brackets 21'dependiiig from each of the sidesills 12 and '13.

The distributing mechanismv provided vpreferably takes lthe foi-iii of al drinn 22 mounted for rotation at the rear end of the Wagon iii brackets 23', 24 extending backwardly from' the side sills 12, 13 and having the sections 33 of the hopper may turn over the usual radially directed tine's 25. For turning the drum 22 a gear pinion 26 is fixed upon the spindle thereof adjacent one of its ends and this gear pinion meshes with a Asecond pinion 27 which turns loosely on a stub-shaft 23 projecting from one of the brackets as 23 providedfor `supporting the.

drum. A sprocket chain 29 which as shown turns over' a suitable sprocket wheel 30 -mountedon the re'ar axle 19 of the device and a sprocket pinion 31 formed integrally with the gear pinion 27, serves for transmitting motion from the axle 19 to the gear pinion` 27 for rotating the drum 22. Any form of clutch mechanism may be provided for releasing the driving connection between the axle 19 and the drum 22. For this purpose We prefer to employ the-clutch illustrated in our Serial :tl: 398,065, filed Oct. 18th, 1907. As here shown, however, the stub shaft 28 is made of sufficient length to permit of the gear pinion 27' and sprocket 31 being moved laterally thereon for Adisengaging the pinion 27 from the pinion 26.

A sectional'hopper 32 is provided for the load. As shown this hopper is mounted directly upon the side sills 12 and 13 for sliding movement toward and away from the distributing drum 22. Preferably each section 33 of the hopper 32 is formed of sheet metal having its. ends upturned as indicated at 34, 35, to provide sides for the hopper, and the several sections of the hopper a-re connected together for the purpose of making a flexible structure by uniting one of the marginal edges `of each section along the licor line of the hopper with one of the marginal edges of the next adjacent section vas by means of hinges 36, most clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Sprocket chains as 37, 38 each turning over sprocket wheels as 39, 40 mounted respectively adjacent the front and rear of the wagon are provided for connecting the front and rear edgesv of the hopper for longitudinally moving the hopper over the slide- Ways provided therefor, as by the side sills 12, 13. In order that each section of the hopper, during the backward movement thereof, may be partially overturned as it reaches the rear end of the wagon body to more eectually present its load to the distributing drum 22, and may be subsequently moved out of t-he way when its load has been` discharged, the sprocket wheels 40 adjacent 4therear of the wagon are of such form that them after the manner of the links of a sprocket chain. As shown the sprocket wheels 39 are'each fixed upon a shaft 41 which extends entirely across the body of the Wagon adjacent its forward end. and is pending application for patent'` journaled in side sills l2 and 13. The sprocket wheels 40 are of polygonal form to receive the sections 33 -of the hopper and each is loosely mounted upon a rod 42 which extends between the side sills 12, 13 of the wagon adjacent its rear end. Preferably the drum 22 has a hub 65 formed upon each of its ends whereby the ends of the body of the drum are each separated from the adjacent supporting bracket 23, 24, to provide a space as (3G, 67 Fig. 1 to receive thc upturned ends 34, 35 of the hopper sections 33 as each turns over the sprocket wheels 40. As shown, however, the rear most sections (38 of the hopper 32 is without upturned ends, this section being in effect a tail board which forms with the drum 22 a closure for the back ofthe hopper when the parts of the device are at rest.

For moving the hopper 33 to gradually deliver its load to the distributing drum 22 ratchet and pawl mechanism is preferably provided for rotating the shaft 4l. As shown two ratchet wheels 43, and 44, having oppositely directed ratchet teeth, one of the wheels as 43 being provided for turning the shaft in that direction whereby the hopper 33v is advanced upon the distributing mechanism of the wagon and the other ratchet wheel 44 being provided for turning the shaft in lthe opposite direction for returning the hopper to its load receiving position, are mounted upon the shaft 41 adjacent one of its ends, this shaft being preferably continued beyond the side sill 13 at one side of the wagon for this purpose. A pawl arm 45 is pivotally mounted upon the side of the wagon as at l4G to swing in a vertical plane adjacent the ratchet wheels 43, 44. A crank 47 formed upon the spindle of the distributer drum 22 adjacent one of its ends provides a convenient means for swinging the pawl arm 45 and as shown this crank is connected to the pawl arm by a lilik 43. A plurality of pawls as 49, 50, 51 and 52 are carried byA the pawl arm 45 for operating the ratchet wheels 43, 44. As shown two of these pawls are provided for engaging each of the ratchet wheels 43, 44, the two pawls for each wheel being connected to the pawl arm 45 at opposite sides of its pivotal support 46 in or er that when in operation the 115 ratchet wheel may receive an impulsefrom one of the pawls during the swinging of the pawl arm in each direction. In order that the return movement of the hopper 33 may be effected at a greater speed than the ad- Vance movement thereof the pawls 49, 50 provided for engaging the ratchet wheel 44 are secured to the pawl arm 45 at a greater `distance from its pivotal support than are the pawl arms 51, 52, provided for engaging the `ratchet wheel 43.

Automatic means are provided for alternately ralslng and lowering the two sets of `pawls 49, 50, and 51, 52. To this end a pawl turned to'one position and the other wing as' being provided for raising the pawls 51,

52 out of engagement with the ratchet Wheel- 43 when the guard is turned to its opposite position. For automatically shifting the pawl guard 53 an arm 56 is pivotallymounted upon one of the side sills, as '13, to swing in a vertical plane, that part of the arm above its pivotal support being yas shown, in the path'of the forward edge 58 of the hopper 32 and that part of the arm below its pivotal support being in the path of the rear edge 59 of the hopper. The arm 56 is connected to the pawl guard 53 by a link 60, and for yieldingly` maintaining the pawl guard in either of its adjusted positions and for moving it tothat position after an initial movement has been imparted toit by the` swinging ofthe arm 56 a spring 61 is provided. As shown this spring reacts against a stop 62 fixed in position upon one of theA side sills 13 of the wagon and is coiled about an eyefbar 63 connected to the pawl 53 at 64 and having a sliding engagement with the stop 62,l the arrangement bein such that the point 64 of pivotal connection between the rod 63 and the pawl guard 53 crosses a line drawn between the pivotal support of the pawl guard, and the support 62 for the' outer-end of the eye-bar, about midway of its extreme positions, whereby its effective action upon the pawl guard 53 is reversed. h

In vuse the hopper 32 will be filled with fertilizer and the device then employed as an ordinary wagon for carrying its load to the ground to be treated. When-this lhas been reachedthe pinion 27 will be shifted in position upon the stubshaft 28 to engage the pinion 26. Further movement of the wagon will then cause, a rotation of the drum 22 anda vbackward movement of the hopper on the side .sills 12, 13, this latter being effected by the action of the ,pawls 51, 52`upon the ratchet wheel 43, the pawls being moved 55 .by the swin ing of the pawl arm 45fb the crank 47 ormed upon the end o the drum 22. As each section 33 of the hopper reaches the rea-r of the Wagon it turns o ver the sprocket wheels 40- to' a. osition -beneath the sills,the first art o this movement being a tiltin of t e section whereby its load is efectua ly presented to the distributer drum. During the passage of each section of the hopper over the sprockets 40, its upturned ends 34, which constitute the side walls of the hopper pass thrpugh the spaces 66, 67, provided between theends of the drum 22 and the supporting brackets 23, 24. l v

When the entire load has been discharged the rear edge 59 of the hopper contacts with the arm 56v to turn the pawl guard 53 Whereby the awls 51, 52 are raised out of engagement wlth the ratchet wheel 43 and the pawls 49, 50 are 'permitted to engage the ratchet wheel 44 for returningthe hopper to its load receiving position. This having been effected the forward edge 58`- of -thehopper contacts with the arm 56 for again reversing the action of the pawls 49, 50, 51 and 52, and driving connection between the axle 19 and 'the o erative parts of the device will then be re eased until a fresh load has been brought to the place to be treated, the release being accomplished in the form of construction lllustrated by manually moving the gear 27 outwardly on the stub shaft 28 until it becomes disengaged from the pinion 26,v though obviously any form of automatic belt turning over the sprocket wheels includ-- ing a sectional hopper comprising a plurality4 of bottom boards-flexibly connected edge to edge and having upturned ends forming sides for the hopper, and a distributing drum mounted in the frame adjacent one of the sprocket wheels, the arrangement being such that as a section of the belt turns over the sprocket the upturned ends of the section pass the ends of the drum.

2. In a fertilizer distributerin combination a wheeled frame, a pair of sprocket wheels ljournaled in the frame, an endless belt turning over the sprocket Wheels includino` a sectlonal` hopper comprising a plura 'ty ofbottom boards flexibly connected edge to edge and having upturned ends forming ysides or the hopper, and a distributing drum mounted in the frame adjacent one of the sprocket wheels, the arrangement being such that as each section of the hopper turns over the sprocket it listilted to present its' load'to the drum and 4its ends pass the ends of the drumff..

- 3. In a fertilizer distributer in combinationa reciprocable load carrying member, a shaft for imparting movement to such member in either direction, a pair of ratchet wheels mounted on the shaft having oppositely directed ratchet teeth, a paWl copeiatand 'a reversible spring acting on the pztwl ing With each of the ratchet Wheels, an oscllifter to move it to the other extreme posi- 10 latable paWl lifter operable upon the pawls tion when released by the trip.

/lin alternation and means for shifting the JOHN C. 1OPE.

5 pawl lifterincluding 'a trip engagea-ble by WILLIAM J. POPE.

the load carrying inemhei' itt the limit of its Vitnesscs:

'movement in each direction to release the HARRY USILTON,

pewl lifter from one of its extreme positions I R. O. Lm'ioH. 

